Taiwan Semi Sues Chinese Rival Over Trade Secrets, Patents

Law360, New York (December 22, 2003, 12:00 AM EST) -- Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Northern California against China's Semiconductor Manufacturing International Co. for misappropriation of trade secrets, patent infringement, unfair competition and violations of the Lanham Act.

The Chinese company hired over 100 employees from its Taiwanese rival and asked some of them to divulge trade secrets belonging to their former employer, according to the lawsuit.

The suit alleges that an official with Semiconductor Manufacturing International asked Taiwan Semiconductor's Quality Control Program Manager, Katy Liu, to obtain process...